Ore-jigger.



G. E. KNOWLES.

ORE JIGGER. APILIUAI'ION FILED JULY 26, 1909.

973,281, Patented Oct. '18, 1910..

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ORE JIGGER. 7 APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1909 Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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ORE-JIGGER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed July 26, 1909. Serial No. 509,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAMDEN E. KNowLns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Webb City, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Ore-Jigger, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ore separators known as jiggers, which separate the ore into strata according to its specific gravity and consequent richness, the ore being supported on a screen or grate mounted in a tank containing water, in which a plunger reciproeates for forcing the water through the bed of ore.

The invention relates more particularly to the means whereby the discharge or removal of the stratified ore from the screen is effected.

In ore separators of the kind stated, it is important that the discharge be continuous, or nearly so as conditions will permit, so that the line of demarcation between the mineral particles and gangue may be maintained at a given level at all times. This drawing off of the mineral should be uniform on all parts of the ore bed across the entire width of the screen. Furthermore, it is desirable that the line of demarcation be made adjustable as to height, the adjustment to be readily under control of the attendant. Provision should also be made so that when once stratified, only the heavy particles can find their way through the discharge, and the construction should be such that the flow of material will not be impeded in its travel from the feed end to the discharge end of the It is the object of the present invention to provide improved means whereby the herein stated operations are effected, and to the end it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed in which Figure 1 is a transverse section of a portion of an ore separator of the type specified, showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the concentrates receptacle. Fig. 4c is a front elevation of the valve to be hereinafter described. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the method of adjusting the valve.

teferring more particularly to the drawings, 9 denotes the jig tank or box; 10, the stationary concentrating screen or grate; 11, the concentrates receptacle; and 1'2, the vertically reciprocating plunger for causing the water to pulsate through the mass of ore on the screen.

The concentrates receptacle is located at the tail end of the screen and extends entirely across said end. The concentrates re ceptacle has a hopper bottom from which a discharge pipe 13 leads. In the vertical wall of the concentrates receptacle, facing the screen, are a number of ports or openings let which are in the shape of oblique slots located with their lower ends near the level of the screen, while their upper ends reach to the height of nearly the point of overflow at the end of the compartment. Vithin the concentrates receptacle is mounted a gate or valve 15 comprising a plate of brass or other metal. which will resist corrosion. The length of the gate is less than the length of the concentrates receptacle so that it may have a sliding movement back and forth across the same. In this gate are ports or openings 16 which are also oblique slots corresponding inshape and area, as well as in number, to the ports 14:. The ports 16 are located in the same horizontal plane as the ports 14, and they extend at right angles thereto. The gate 15 is slidably mounted inside the concentrates receptacle on the wall in which the ports 14 are located, and it is fitted with a stem 17 extending through a stuffing box to the outside of the box, where said stem is fitted with an operating lever 18, whereby the gate may be adjusted.

Inasmuch as the ports 14: and 16 are in the same horizontal plane, and extend at right angles to each other, it will be seen that the gate may be set so that said ports cross each other, and thus form an outlet from the screen into the concentrates receptacle, and as the ports are set obliquely, the height of this outlet above the screen may be varied, so as to permit a predeter-. mined level or line of demarcation of the stratified material on the screen. This action is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Referring to said figure, it will be seen thatwhen the gate is at the extreme left hand end, the ports cross at their lower ends, and the outlet is at its lowest level. Upon moving the gate toward the right, the level of the outlet is successively raised to a higher position with retheir upper extremities. The outlet is square and its area remains the same irre spective of its level. A continuous movement of the gate toward the right will grad ually reduce the area of the outlet, until it is entirely closed.

By the herein described structure, the height of the line of Stratification is regulated, and the rate of discharge of material governed by the elevation of the outlet, and as this is effected without varying the area of the outlet, there is no danger of the larger pieces of ore obstructing the outlet, which is the case where the rate of discharge is varied by contracting the outlet.

The invention is not limited to the treatment of any particular class or grade of ore, which is desirable, for the reason that middlings occur in nearly all ore when be ing treated in jigs or other concentrators which depend for their action on the principle of specific gravity, as nearly all ores in crushing break so there remain particles of the mineral adhering to the particles of parent rock. For the further recovery of these middlings or chats, it is necessary to draw them as fast as they are stratified in their proper relations on the screen, and they should be drawn from a uniform level across the entire width of the ore bed. The present invention eflectually accomplishes this.

In front of the ports 14:, and spaced a short distance from the wall of the concentrates receptacle in which said ports are made, is a shield 19 which extends from the top of the concentrates receptacle down to a point substantially level with the lower extremities of said ports. This shield prevents the lighter particles of material from being sucked through the outlet. The shield is an angular plate, one of its flanges forming the shield, and its other flange 20 fitting on top of the concentrates receptacle, and closing the same. In the flange 20 are openings in which are mounted vent pipes 21 which open into the space between the concentrates receptacle wall and the shielch The purpose of these vent pipes is to permit the escape of air, which, by accumulating under the shield would repel the rise of the ore to the outlet.

7 The invention herein described is simple in structure, and it effectually serves the purpose for which it is designed. The preferred embodiment has been shown and described herein, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications not in volving a departure from the invention may be resorted to.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ore jigger, a screen, a concentrates receptacle having a plurality of in clined slots in its wall facing the screen, and an adjustable sliding gate having inclined slots which extend at an angle to and cross the first-mentioned slots, the registering portions of the slots of the concentrates receptacle wall and the sliding gate forming inlets into said concentrates receptacle, and the level of said inlets being varied by the adjustment of the gate.

2. In an ore jigger, a screen, a concentrates receptacle having a plurality of elongated slots in its wall facing the screen, an adjustable sliding gate having elongated slots which extend at an angle to, and cross the first-mentioned slots, the registering portions of the slots of the concentrates receptacle wall and'the sliding gate forming inlets into said receptacle, and the level of said inlets being varied by adjustment of the gate, and means for moving the gate on a line inclined to the major axis of both the wall and the gate slots.

3. In an ore jigger, a screen, a concentrates receptacle having oblique slots in its wall opposite the screen, a gate slidable across the slots, and having oblique slots cooperating with the slots in the wall of the receptacle to form inlets into the receptacle from the screen, the slots of the gate being disposed at right angles to the slots of the receptacle wall.

4:. In an ore jigger, a screen, a concentrates receptacle having oblique slots, and a gate slidable across the slots, and having oblique slots cooperating therewith to form inlets into the receptacle from the screen, the slots of the gate having the same area as the slots of the receptacle wall, and disposed at right angles thereto.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa- 'ture in the presence of two witnesses.

CAMDEN E. KNOWLES.

lVitnesses F. B. Looarrs, CARL C. Cass. 

